Your Last Lullaby
by AllThatJaZZ1
Summary: Flash forward into the future. yuki and tohru have died, leaving behind a little girl who was so young when they died that she could only remember her mothers lullaby song. She is given a chance to finally meet her parents as 16 year olds...
1. Ill Never Forget

A/N- this idea actually came to me while I was waiting for a good TV show to be on at 3 in the morning. Tell me if you like it! I know the heads will roll when I put up a third story, when I already have two others, but I was thinking of deleting one of them anyway. The POV's are really confusing, so ill tell you-the flash forwards are in he POV of another character. Oh, and btw, I STILL don't think my italics are working, so ill just put thoughts in single quotations. Ok! Let the fic begin!   
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Flash Forward  
  
I lay on the floor. Hatori slowly finished the bandages winding up my back. I winced my eyes in pain, but I knew that I had to be strong. For his sake. "Dad..." I felt the small sigh of a word escape my lips, before falling into a restless sleep. Hatori watched the familiar scene, with pain filled eyes.  
  
  
  
The wounds would heal in time, but he knew that the only support that was given to the child was through the memory of a father she had never known. He glanced down, and softly ruffled the sleeping child's silver hair. Gently, softly, he picked her up, and left her to rest. When leaving the room he stopped, and stared back at the room.   
  
He knew it was a room that only four people had ever set foot in. The victims, Akito, and himself. He blinked, and pushed back those thought and memories. Whatever happened in that room, it was his job to heal the aftermath. He turned his head away, trying to repress the pictures that were flooding his mind. Sighing, he turned, and finally left, leaving behind a little girl, and buried memories that had stayed buried too long.  
  
End Flash Forward  
  
Present Times  
  
Tohru, Kyo, and I were walking to school, hand in hand. I knew that we would have to split up soon. We didn't want anyone finding out that Tohru lived with us. Or near us, for that matter. I regretfully broke my hand contact, and Tohru did the same, as we approached my fan club.   
  
It was really obsessive, but Tohru told me that they are only trying to express their love for me. I don't see why contorting your body to spell 'love me Yuki' is really necessary, but it certainly is expressive, so I let them. It earns a lot of snide comments from the baka neko, but it makes Tohru happy that I acknowledge them, just like when I notice Ayame. I carefully braced myself, and let them start their acrobatics.  
  
I gave them a smile, the cold one, my prince look superiority. All three girls stopped what they were doing to stare at me. 'Ok, I'm done now. I made the girls happy, I can go to school now.' I walked passed them, slowly, regally, and into the building. I kept my focus on Tohru, who was in front of me. It was almost ironic. I had girls who desperately wanted to be with me, yet the one girl who I actually wanted to be with was the one who wasn't falling all over me, starting fan clubs, or dressing me up like a girl. I knew that she had yet to choose between Kyo or me, and knowing her, the thought to make a decision probably never crossed her mind, but each day I found myself caring more for the one girl who accepted us, loved us all the same. I gazed longingly at her, now approaching her two other friends, and started to talk with them. Sighing, I turned away, and began my student council duties.   
  
Flash Forward  
  
I woke up to find myself in a bed, with my bandages completed. I carefully slid out of the sheets, and made my way down the hall. I crept along, and slipped noiselessly outside. I ran quickly, and silently down a hill, and into the forest that surrounded part of the huge house. I stopped shortly after reaching a small stretch of earth.  
  
Small dark leaves pushed upwards, soaking up sunlight. Deep red fruit hung heavy on the branches, bending the boughs down. I smiled, and plucked a red berry from the plant closest to me. I bit into it, and savored the sweetness. I heard footsteps behind me, and turned to see Hatori coming towards me. I stood up, and brushed the dirt from my cloths.   
  
"Im sorry." I heard him say quietly, "I tried to get you out soon...but..." he broke off, not wanting to make an excuse for letting me be locked in that room. I still faced away from him, not wanting to meet his eyes. I knew I shouldn't be mad at him, he couldn't help it. But I needed to blame SOMEONE, and Akito was too powerful. I felt him take another step forward, and automatically cringed away. He stopped, then turned away, and started walking away. His parting words made me want to follow him, though I didn't.  
  
"When you conquer your fears, come with me. I may have found a way to show you your...father." I waited for him to leave, then broke down in silent sobs. My father...both of my parents had died in a landslide that happened near their house. Someone had said that was where they first met, when my mother was living in a tent.   
  
I missed them both, but everyone always said how much I looked and acted like my father. I wish they wouldn't. It was like putting a spotlight on the fact he was gone. My mother was someone who everyone had loved. Needed. But no one more than my dad. His 'third love' Haru called her. 'Sister' Kisa called her. 'Lectures worthy of a crepe' Hiro muttered.   
  
She had helped them all. But...everyone always said it was my father she was meant to be with. When I was old enough to ask why, Hatori paused before answering, "She was our spring. Always warm. I asked her, myself. I was sitting out on the front porch...and it started to snow. I remembered something Kana once asked me...so I turned around, and asked, "what does snow turn into when it melts?" ... And she replied..."it turns into spring! Isn't it amazing? No matter how cold, snow always melts."   
  
My father was snow...my mother was spring. The only thing I remember about them was a song my mother used to sing to me every night. I guess when all you have of your parents is a lullaby, you don't forget it easily. I've clung to that song for 10 years. I don't even have a picture. Not one single one. But that's my fault...I didn't want one. It would be like confirming the fact they are dead. I mean, I know they're dead. I've known it for the past 10 years. But I didn't want to believe it. I was told the strongest bond between my father and I was our curse. Know one knew how my curse was delayed, but it doesn't change the fact that it was.   
  
More to the point, when I inherited the curse of the mouse, I was placed immediately into the custody of Akito. He always told me that the mouse what special, the mouse was...different. That my only friend was him. And that it would always stay that way. I had lessons in pain and torture, lessons meant to break my will. What Akito didn't realize was that in trying to break me, he made me stronger. I distanced myself from everyone. If they got close to me, they could hurt me. So no one could get close to me. I practiced holding everything in, keeping my face placid, blank, regal. My expressions were automatic. I regarded everyone, and everything around me with a calm ease and grace like flowing water. I was admired, respected, and envied. I was perfect. I was the mouse. But inside the ice mask, I had a cracking heart. One that needed help from ones so long deceased that I could only remember a comforting song. And when everything gets to be...too much, I go out to my garden, curl up into a ball, and start to sing myself to sleep.   
  
And when I heard the words coming from Hatori's mouth, I did just that. I tucked my knees up to my chin, leant against a tree, and started to sing, my clear soprano voice quelled to a trembling song, as I felt my lips form the words that had never been forgotten.  
  
I was so happy...  
  
When you smiled at me...  
  
With a smile that melts away everything...  
  
Spring is still far away...  
  
And the earth is still cold...  
  
Waiting for the first sprout to come out...  
  
And even though today is painful...  
  
Even though yesterdays scars remain,  
  
If I open my heart that wants to believe...  
  
I can't change being born...  
  
But I can change as I go along...  
  
Lets stay together  
  
Forever   
  
The last word rang in the nearby trees. I gathered all my strength, and stood up. Mustering enough willpower to keep walking, I focused everything on the next step forward. I finally reached Hatori's door, and slid it open.  
  
I saw Hatori sitting at a desk, smoking. I walked over, not wanting to talk, and knowing he would understand why I came without words. He looked up, and spoke. "Ready?" he asked, in a soft voice that he only used after I had been taken out of my room with Akito. The voice he used when he was telling me that he would try to get me out soon. The voice reserved for bracing a person for the best or the worst.   
  
I couldn't bring myself to speak. Instead I just nodded. He carefully handed me a thin, square package, covered in brown paper. "Read that. I don't know the exact effects...or the duration of time you will stay there. But I know that, one way or another, you will be transported back into a time where your parents and Kyo were all living in Shigures' house, as 16 year olds. It shouldn't be too hard to find them. And...this way, you will at least know him. You are so much like him; sometimes it's hard to believe. But...please. Until you find your own spring, use this. Don't tell anyone else. Go to your room now, and if anyone asks, tell them its doctors orders for you to take the week off. Ill think of something to tell Akito. And...good luck."  
  
A/N-whew! A long chapter! I wanted to make this one chapter long...I could have easily written this story till it was done in one chapter, but I wanted some reviews first. k! now review, all ye reviewers! 


	2. Only Words Are Immortal

A/N-thank you so much for the review(s)! Yay! My style is pleasant! Whooohoooo! (Ahem) ok! Next chapter!   
  
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I walked slowly out of Hatori's room, staring at the package. I heard footsteps behind me, and quickly tucked the package under my shirt, and out of sight. Before I could turn around, I felt an icy hand on my shoulder. Frozen to the spot, I felt Akito lean in close, pressing his lips next to my ear. "Is my little mouse feeling better? I hope so...its no fun to play with a broken toy....And the mouse is very important to me. I don't know what I would do if you were to leave me...I might have to teach you another lesson..." he started to trace the lacerations on my back, making me flinch away in terror. "And we all know how much you enjoy our little lessons...your father always did..." He broke into a quiet, cold laugh that sent shivers down my spine, as anger coursed through my veins.  
  
'How DARE he talk about him like that! Like he was nothing!' As though he was a doll he had gotten tired of, and thrown out. I whirled around to meet his steely gray eyes, only to find him in front of me, continuing his walk down the hall. I stood in the middle of the hall, shaking in silent anger. Slowly regaining my sense, I took an unsteady step forward, and kept going. After what seemed like forever, I finally stopped outside my door, and slid it open. Plopping down on my bed, I stared at the package.  
  
Steadying my trembling hands, I began to undo the hemp cord tying up the brown paper. I unfolded the paper, smoothing out the creases, and making sure that I didn't tear the paper, although it was not of any special value. I gently pressed back the final fold of paper, and stared puzzled at the contents.   
  
It looked...like a manga volume.... Undaunted, I picked up the book, and flipped it open. It WAS a manga...but one like I had never seen before. The first page showed a girl of about 16, standing outside a tent, and smiling brightly up at the sky. Her long hair fell to about mid back, and was tied behind her ears with ribbons. She held an old-fashioned book bag, and was wearing a school uniform. The caption underneath the picture read- "Hello! Im Honda Tohru!"   
  
I stopped. And clapped a hand to my mouth, as my mothers' picture stared up at me, her smile never faltering. I was about to flip the page, when the pages started turning themselves, as if a breeze was playing around the room. The pages rested on a picture of a high school. I squinted my eyes to see the name of it, and found it to be Kaibara...I go there...this was getting weirder by the second.  
  
I was getting scared, my pulse quicken, but before I had a chance to get really terrified, a flash of white light burst from the seam of the manga, and emitted a loud whiplash noise. I felt my whole body go light, and the next thing I know, I was tumbling on the ground, outside of Kaibara high school. I stood up, and realized that I was wearing my school uniform. I stood up, and brushed the dirt off my cloths, realizing with a wave of pain that my injuries had carried over to the...past. I looked around.  
  
Everything seemed more or less where it normally was. I looked at the clock on top of the school building, and realized that school would be ending in seconds. I walked over to a nearby bench, and sat down, waiting for the bell to ring. The hands ticked down the last few seconds. 15...14...13....I started to panic-what if he didn't recognize me? Well, that was impossible...he had never met me...but what if I couldn't recognize HIM? True, I had never seen him...but everyone always said how alike we were...and what about my mother? What if she was repulsed my me? 12...11...10... What if they didn't believe my story? 9...8...7....What if...I was a disappointment to them? 6...5...4....I wouldn't be able to live with myself. 3...2...1...What if...they hated me?   
  
DING! The bell sounded, and students came pouring out. I searched the faces I could see, but none of them looked like mine. My heart started to sink, but I kept my mask of queenly superiority on. A voice caught my attention, and I turned, as I heard someone say, "What should I make for dinner, Kyo-kun? Yuki-kun had his student council duties today...so he will be hungry when he comes home. Ah, how about some leeks? Oops...Kyo-kun hates those..." I listened to her ramble on about dinner. I kept my eyes glued to the two people walking past...my Uncle Kyo, and...and my mother.   
  
I felt other students walking by, some of them staring at me, others whispering. I didn't care...I just needed to talk to her. To him. Hatori had told me that they lived in Shigures' house while they were in school...so I supposed that was where they were headed. Although my father had a student council job, I didn't mind. It would be easier to see him in the morning anyway. First, I needed to find a place to stay temporarily.   
  
I started walking, and decided that staying in a motel would be suspicious, since I didn't have any parents with me. I settled on the park. I climbed on a bench, and curled in to a ball. Unconsciously, I started humming the tune to a song. A song whose words were as fresh in my mind as the first time my mother had sung them. People could die, but words were immortal. 


	3. Whats In A Name?

A/N- SO MANY WONDERFUL REVIEWS! The more reviews, the more updates! I don't care if the same people review! And I was keeping you guys in the dark about her name ON PURPOSE! (Gasps!) Ahem. Ok then! (My god, I update quickly) on with the fic! (Btw, I am SO sorry Dittomon, I was out of the house, and I forgot to log off. Im me again and we can talk! (For everyone else, my screen name on AIM is Coconut598. Im me any time!)  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
I woke the next morning, and realized I was sleeping on a park bench. I was never good in the morning, and it took a few seconds to remember what had happened, and then a full minute to remember why. I felt a shiver of excitement chase through my body, and sat straight up. A few moments later, I started a quick trip into town for some breakfast. I bought myself a bun, and sat on a bus stop bench to eat it.   
  
Few people came by except the occasional passerby. One group of girls caught my attention. They were hiding behind a wall that defined the sides of the street. They were obviously waiting for someone...but not many people walked to school this way. My curiosity about the girls grew, and I decided to stay on the bench, and watch them. All three girls were stretching, as if preparing for a long run.  
  
Finally, the shapes of three people rounded the corner. I stared at them. I could easily recognize Kyo-kun from his bright orange hair, but I still hadn't gotten used to seeing my mother. And...there was a third person. I squinted, and then felt my heart freeze.  
  
The man walking on her other side...looked exactly like...me. He had the same delicate face, elegant features, and slender, graceful build. Eyes...that could have been the mirror image of my own. Deep violet...hinting at depths of secrets, and emotion, but never revealing. His hair was cut to fall in a wispy frame around his face, first long, then falling away to reveal his eyes, and this was where the likeness parted, for my hair fell in a long cascade down my back, and was a shade lighter, so that it gleamed an iridescent lavender hue.   
  
Despite my best 10-year-old efforts to keep my look of longing and hurt out of my expression, it was the most I could do to keep from crying. As soon as the trio reached the girls, however, they immediately burst into a set of gymnastics that would make any coach proud. L!-O!-V!-E!-M!-E!-Y!-U!-K!-I! They twisted and bent their bodies in poses to spell out the letters. I thought that the redheaded one was going to give herself a hernia from trying to be the 'L' and the 'E' at the same time. I mentally shrugged. I stood corrected.  
  
The boy watched the show with polite interest, until he finally gave them a regal smile, and started to sweep away again, only pausing for the other two to get ahead of him. They drew nearer to my bench, and I couldn't help but feel the emotions choke my throat, and threaten to spill over my eyelashes. I tried to compose myself, to resume my façade of perfection, but I couldn't. My gaze was directed at the two people I had never seen, though they were the two people I wanted to see most.   
  
I saw my mother stop, and start talking to the two boys. I was only half-listening, but I caught most of the conversation, " That girl...she looks so sad...so what? Baka neko. WHAT? B-a-k-a n-e-k-o...WHY YOU! Ano...you go on ahead without me...I want to talk to her...we will accompany you...WHAT...have some consideration...ano, if he doesn't want to come..." I had my head dropped down, so no one could see my face, but I heard footsteps coming towards me, and the next thing I know, my mother was seated next to me.   
  
"Hello...I sorry, but you seemed so sad...and even though Im a stranger...sometimes it helps to talk about problems or fears. Oh, Im sorry, my name is Honda Tohru. What's yours?" I wanted so badly to look up and hug her, and yell,' I'm   
  
Your daughter! Please stay with me!' but I couldn't. So instead, I kept my head bowed down, and whispered, "you wouldn't believe me if I told you." she sounded puzzled when she asked",And why would that be? Mother always told me to believe in people, if I didn't have a reason to believe them. Please tell me your name." I finally looked up and heard her gasp. "I know you wont believe me...but my name...is Kyoko Souma."  
  
A/N- so? What do you think? Next chapter...she meets Yuki at last! Should I continue this, or burn it? Please review! 


	4. Of Mice And Men

A/N- ok! She finally sees her father. Now to talk to him...(oh, btw, I have both your screen names on my buddy list now, Dittomon.)  
  
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My mother brought a hand to her mouth in surprise. Uncle Kyo and my...father noticed this at once, and started walking over. I knew how alike he and I were, and like my mother they might be overly surprised. And that cold lead to difficult questions. I once again lowered my head, and finally heard them stop.  
  
"What's the matter, Honda-san?" I heard a soft, flowing voice ask. Then, in a rougher tone, "Did the kid say something to you? OI! WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?!" I felt my mother look up at them in amazement, and say, "Her name...is...Kyoko Souma."   
  
The two boys looked taken aback. Even with my head lowered, I could tell that they were staggered. A cool hand was placed under my chin, and my father tilted my head up. I saw his eyes widen in shock, and even Kyo looked on in astonishment. I tried to put my head back down, but failing that, I gave my father an icy smile. "Thank you for your concern, however, I will be perfectly alright on...my own..." my voice cracked on the last word.   
  
He sat down beside me, and placed a hand on my back, where I immediately tensed up from pain. His brow furrowed. "You said you are one of the family? Those injuries need attention. If you are a Souma, then the family doctor should treat you. Where did you get cuts like that?" I knew that being the mouse meant being extremely sensitive to all senses, and that with his enhanced ability, he could feel the depth of the cuts.   
  
I gulped, and squinted my eyes closed, before saying in a hushed voice, "The same place you did when you were a child." What had been a fair amount of surprise before turned into shock. "You...don't mean..." I nodded, tears welling up in my eyes. "What did you do to make him angry? Fall in love?" I shook my head.   
  
"No..." I whispered, "He never said why he did it to me...he just said...the mouse is special...that the mouse was different...and that if I were to be friends with anyone else...he would teach me more lessons...I didn't want that..." I looked again into his now stunned face. "But...Your not...I am...How do you know about the Junnishi?" I was confused. Without thinking, I blurted out, "Im the mouse of the Junnishi. How could I not know about it?" I clapped my hand to my mouth, realizing my mistake.   
  
A/N- Sorry its so short! But I whipped this off in the morning, right after I read my reviews! Next chapter will be longer, but at least this is something, right? Tell me how you like it, and if it's going in the right direction or not. 


	5. Strangly Protective

A/N- wow...its been a really long time, huh? Any way, next chapter!  
  
Disclaimer- I don't own anything, and if I did, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction- I would be busy writing a second season of fruits basket.  
  
Yuki's eyes widened in shock. He must have misheard her. He was the mouse in the junnishi. He knew that the Sohma family was large, but the outer members didn't know about the curse. His practical mind immediately tried to sort out what was happening, and coming up with no solutions, he decided that the only thing reasonable thing to do was take the strange girl to Hatori. If what the girl said was true, it would be dangerous leading her into the care of Akitos' right-hand man, but he didn't see any other way; it wasn't as if he could leave her, and for some reason, he felt a deep sense of protection over the girl, that was buried at the back of his mind, tugging at him, and refusing to let the girl go uncared for.  
  
Kyokos' POV I can't believe I said that! There could only be one animal spirit per person, and letting on that our curse had transferred would lead to unanswerable questions. My father had the blank expression on his face that I had so long ago perfected, and to an untrained eye it looked like he was merely bored. I however knew he was deep in thought. His eyes were unreadable. I flicked my eyes over to my mother, whose pensive look of concern was directed at me. Kyo seemed annoyed, but as he was in a perpetual snit anyway, this didn't concern me. My father stood straight again, and with the barest hint of a smile said "this is the first time in my life I will be cutting school." 


End file.
